Bathroom cabinet



March 3, 1959 B. BERGER BATHROOM CABINET Filed Oct. 2, 1957 I y 33 INVENTOR.

v fier/zardfieyer United States PatentO BATHROOM CABINET Bernard Berger, Chicago, 111., assignor to National Steel Cabinet Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application October 2, 1957, Serial No. 687,644 8 Claims. c1. 312-223 The invention relates to improvements in cabinets and particularly in bathroom cabinets of the type adapted to be mounted in a wall and having a pair of slidable door panels on its open front face and one or more sources of illumination arranged on one or more sides thereof.

.More specifically, the invention is embodied in a cabinet of the type having a substantially rectangular shallow body portion, preferably fabricated from sheet metal stock, open on its front face, and adapted to contain one or more shelves. A cabinet of this type is mounted on and usually is partially embedded in a Wall and, in the present instance, it is provided on its open-front face with a surrounding frame extending outwardly and forwardly on all sides thereof. The frame includes a pair of parallel inwardly opening guideways surrounding the open front face of the cabinet body, one for each of a 'pair of door panels which, when in one position, provide a closure'for the cabinet and which may be slid relative to each other and to the cabinet to afford access to the cabinet interior. The frame also includes an outwardly extending, integral surrounding flange providing a mounting for one or more lamp tubes and said flange includes integral means to frictionally retain a translucent light transmitting cover or shield over the lamp tubes.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel. illuminated cabinet structure which is; inexpensive to manufacture, easily assembled, rugged in its construction and efficient in use; 7

Another object is to provide a .novel cabinet of the character described which is fabricated entirely from like sections of predetermined lengths, of'an extruded structural, element. 7

.Another object is to provide a novel unitary frame assembly including integral means for mounting illuminating means, a light transmitting shield thereon and integral guideways for slidable door panels.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of my invention, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, my invention, its mode of construction, assembly and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawings in which the same charaetersof reference are employed to indicatecorresponde ,nected' therewith'conyentional wiring 58 for connecting Patented Mar. 3, 1959 ing or similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet embodying features of the invention, showing the cabinet mounted in a wall.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevational view, partly broken'away, of one front corner of the cabinet.

Fig.7 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. '4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the ex-- truded structural element from which the cabinet framesections are obtained.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the cabinet body 10 is fabricated from metal sheet stock drawn or otherwise formed to provide a shallow substantially rectangular open faced box-like structure, including a vertically arranged back wall 12, a top wall 14, a bottom Wall 16 and connecting end walls 18. The forward edges of the top, bottom and end walls merge integrally into an outwardly extending marginal face flange 20 which has its outward edge turned rearwardly to provide an integral peripherally extending side flange 22. When the cabinet body is mounted in a wall 24, as shown in Fig. 1, the rear edge of flange 22 abuts the surface S of the bathroom wall W.

A frame 26, shaped rectangularly to conform to the outline of the openrfront face of the cabinet body 10, is seated on and is secured to the marginal flange 20. This frame is comprised of four lengths cut from a prefabricated extruded metal structural element, preferably an aluminum alloy, and having a novel configuration best shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The beam portions.

portion or web 32. The inside wall or flange portion 34 has integral therewith three mutually spaced ribs or flanges 38, 40 and 42 extending perpendicular. thereto toward the center of the cabinet so as to define a pair of guide channels 44 and 46. When the frame is mounted on the cabinetbody, the flange, 38 seats upon the front face of the'related marginal flange 20 and is secured thereto by screws 48, and the lower protruding free margin 34a of the inside wall 34 of said frame fits snugly around the outside face of the flange 22. This provides a rigid and secure mounting for the frame and one that is concealed from view when the cabinet is mounted in the wall. The guide channels 44 and 46 completely surround the open face of the cabinet body and constitute trackways for the mounting of a pair of mirrored closure panels 50.

The forwardly projecting portions 34b and 36b of the parallel frame walls '34 and 36 rmpectively, define with the intermediate connecting wall 32, a continuous in each section of the frame channel 52 and for thispurpose'said' channel has mounted therein pairs of lamp sockets 56 (only' some illustrated) each of whichis carried by the related wall 32 and extends through said:-

wall, as best shown in Fig. 3, to have electrically conthe sockets with a source of electricpower; ing is thereby contained within'the space defined by the connecting wall 32, the wall portion 34a and the portion 36a of the outer wall- 36-and is thereby concealed from view. may be omitted from the top, bottom and/or side-portions of the channel 52 so that illumination isprovided at only one or several of the four margins of the cabinet.

A cover or light shield 60 formed from transparent or translucent light transmitting or diffusing material is fitted over each section of the channel 52 to conceal the lamp tubes and to diffuse the light emitted therefrom. This cover preferably is fabricated from plastic material andlit includes side walls 62 spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the spacing between the parallel frame walls 34, 36 so as to be frictionally retained in place when said side walls 62 are inserted between the walls-34, 36 as illustrated in Fig. 3. Each shield or cover preferably has its ends miteredso that a matching fit is obtained at the frame corners and, if desired, suitable ornamental bands or straps 64 may be fitted over the joined ends to conceal the same.

It should be apparent that the present construction, involving the, use of extruded stock for the fabrication of the frame, results in low production cost, inexpensive-and rapid assembly by persons not highly skilled in such fabrication, and a very efficient and useful product.

It is believed that my invention, its mode of construetion, and assembly, and many of its advantages should be readily understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should also be manifest thatwhile a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed for illustrative purposes, the structural details are nevertheless capable of wide variation within the purview of my invention as defined in the appended claims;

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A cabinet comprising a rear vertical wall and a plurality of marginal walls secured peripherally around said rear wall and extending forwardly therefrom and approximately perpendicular thereto to provide areceptacle having an opening throughout the front plane thereof, a planar face flange secured to the forward edges of said marginal walls and projecting outwardly from said edges in a plane approximately parallel to said rear wall and extending peripherally around said opening, a side-flange secured tothe outer edge of said face flange and projecting rearwardly therefrom in a direction approximately perpendicular to said rear wall and extending peripherally around said face flange, and a frame structure secured to receptacle and extending peripherally around said opening thereof, said frame structurecomprising. a plurality of longitudinal integral members of identical shape in cross-section and secured to each other in continuous end-to-end relation, each of said integral members comprising a web portion extending; parallel to said face flange and spaced forwardly thereof, said web portion having an inner edge and an outer edge, said web portion inner edge having integral therewith a first wall portion extending rearwardly therefrom in superimposed adjacentrelation to said side flange, said first wall portion having, integral therewith a rib extending inwardly therefromin superimposed contacting relation to said face flange, means removably securingjsaid rib to said face flange, saidweb portioninner edgehaving integral therewitha secondjwall portion extending forwardly there If desired, lamp tubes 54 andsockets 56- Thewirfrom, said web-portion outer edge having integral there I withathird wall portion extending rearwardly therefrom andagfourth wall portion extending forwardly therefrom approximately parallel to said second wall portion to dethe'rewith aforwardly-projecting channel. extending peripherallyv aroundsaidreceptacle, means for mountingan-aelectn'c light source within: said channel, and'a light transmitting shieldextending peripherally around the=-receptacle and over said channel.

2. A cabinet as recited in "claim 1 wherein said shield is composed of resilient material and comprises a front wall having inner and outer longitudinal edges, an inner wall formed integral with; said front wall inner edge and an outer wall formed integral with said front wall outer edge, said inner and outer Walls" projecting rearwardly in mutually spaced relation into said channel and resiliently engaging said second and fourth wall portions to maintain the shield in assembled relation to saidframe structure. 7

3. A cabinet comprising a rear-wall and a plurality of marginal walls secured peripherallyaround said rear wall and extending forwardly therefrom to provide a receptacle having an opening in the front plane thereof, a face flange fixedvto said marginal walls and projecting outwardly from said edges and extending peripherally around said opening, aside flange fixed to the outer edgeof said face flange and projecting rearwardly therefrom and-extending peripherally around said face flange, and a frame structure secured to receptacle and extending pe-' ripherally around said opening thereof, said frame structure comprising a plurality of longitudinal integral members of-identical shape in cross-section andsecured to each other in continuous end-'to-end relation, each' of said integral members comprising a web portion havingan inner edge and an outer edge haVing integral there with a-first wall portion extending rearwardly therefrom in superimposed adjacent relation to said side flange, said first wall portion having integral therewith a rib extending inwardly therefrom in superimposed contacting relation to-said face flange, means removably securing said rib to said face flange, said web portion inner edge having integral therewith a second wall portion extending forwardlytherefrom, said web portion outer edge having integral therewith a third wall portion extending forwardly therefrom approximately parallel to said second wall portion to define therewith a forwardly-projecting channel extending peripherally around said receptacle, means for mounting an electric light source within said channel, and a light-transmitting shield extending pe ripherally around the receptacle andover said channel.

4. A cabinet as recited in claim 3 wherein said shield is composed of resilient material and comprises a front wall having inner and outer longitudinal edges, an inner wall formed integral with said front wall inner edge-and an outer wall formed integral with said front wall outer edge, said inner and outer walls projecting rearwardly in mutually spaced relation into said channel and resiliently engaging said second and fourth wall portions tomaintainthe shield in assembled relation to said frame structure.

5. A cabinet comprising a rear vertical wall and a plurality of marginal walls secured peripherally around said rear wall and extending forwardly therefrom and approximately perpendicular thereto to provide a receptacle having an opening in the front plane thereof, a planar face flange secured to the forward edges of said marginal walls and projecting outwardly from said edges in a plane approximately parallel to said rear wall and extending peripherally-around said opening, and a frame structure secured to said receptacle and extending peripherally around said opening thereof, said frame structure com-- prisinga plurality of'longitudinal integral members ofidentical shape in cross-section and secured to each other in continuous endto-end relation, each of said integralwith a rib extending inwardly therefrom in superimposed contacting-relation to said face flange, means removably securingsaid rib to said face flange, said web portioninner edge having integral therewith a second wall portion extending forwardly therefrom, said web portion outer edge having integral therewith a third wall portion extending forwardly therefrom approximately parallel to said sec ond wall portion to define therebetween a forwardly-projecting channel extending peripherally around said receptacle, means for mounting an electric light source within said channel, and a light-transmitting shield extending peripherally around the receptacle and over said channel.

6. A cabinet as recited in claim 5 wherein said shield is composed of resilient material and comprises inner and outer walls projecting rearwardly in mutually spaced relation into said channel and resiliently engaging said second and fourth wall portions to maintain the shield in assembled relation to said frame structure.

7. A cabinet comprising a rear wall and a plurality of marginal walls secured peripherally around said rear wall and extending forwardly therefrom to provide a receptacle having an opening, a face flange secured to the forward edges of said marginal walls and projecting outwardly from said edges, and a frame structure secured to said receptacle and comprising a plurality of longitudinal integral members of identical shape in cross-section and secured to each other in continuous end-to-end relation, each of said integral members comprising a web portion having an inner edge and an outer edge, said web portion inner edge having fixed thereto a rib extending inwardly therefrom in superimposed contacting relation to said face flange, means removably securing said rib to said face flange, said web portion inner edge having integral therewith a wall portion extending forwardly therefrom, said web portion outer edge having'integral therewith another wall portion extending forwardly therefrom in spaced relation to said first-recited wall portion to define therebetween a forwardly projecting channel, means for mounting an electric light source within said channel, and a light-transmitting shield extending over said channel.

8. A cabinet as recited in claim 7 wherein said shield is composed of resilient material and comprises inner and outer walls projecting rearwardly in mutually spaced relation into said channel and resiliently engaging said wall portions to maintain the shield in assembled relation to said frame structure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,677,751 Marchand May 4, 1954 2,685,110 Hauck Aug. 3, 1954 2,784,302 Golden Mar. 5, 1957 

